Immortal Hope part 2 The darkness in your dreams
by The Schizophrenic Gatekeeper
Summary: sequel to hidden truths the learning continues and the price starts to be paid
1. Prologue

**Category: **Angst, Action/Adventure, Drama, crossover, **_Alternate Universe_**

**Spoilers: Stargate - **Bane, Any with Cassie or Ry'ac, **Xena -** Friend In Need, Path Of Vengeance, To Helicon And Back

**Season/Sequel: **Five, after 48 hours, but before Summit - Sequel to Hidden Truths

**Rating: **PG-15

**Content Warnings: **Violence and some swearing, (not just from Jack.)

**Summary: **

**Status: **Complete

**Archive:**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own StarGate SG-1 or Xena Warrior Princess, but the original characters in this story are mine, (luckily else I'd feel pretty useless). And I am making no money what so ever from this. Unfortunately.

**Author's Notes: **This is the second story in my immortal series, which is looking to continue for some time. I have to apologise if parts of this story are similar to someone else's, I've tried to keep any real influences out of it. One thing I am now going to say, Lily, Will, Coel, Ambrose, and co. are all mine, I own them!! I do have my own original characters, I don't simply rely on other people to supply them for me!! (Sorry bout that, exam stress getting to me.) I feel it necessary that no references are made to my friends habits during the course of the story. There is a bit more humour this time - due to Will's influence, I'm sorry but I have no control what so ever over the behaviour of that particular immortal. All mistakes are mine. I hope those people who wanted to see more of the hidden truths span are happy with this, I try my best!! With every addition this Fic has amazed me, somehow it's already developed it's own mind, and I doubt that this will be the last you will see of this series, it has claimed me, for better or for the worse.

The songs are The Widowing Field Jars Of Clay, Gollum's song Emiliana Torrini (The Two Towers), Put Your Faith In Me Amy Studt, Live and Learn Cardigans

Many thanks to Bex for all her loving and betaing and snarcy comments on how I should be writing faster, couldn't do it without you!!!

This one's for Jessie.

**Prologue**

It is finished. What is finished?

Much us finished known or unknown:

Lives are finished; time dimished;'

Amen : Christina Rossetti

It was hard to believe that the members of SG-1 had been a close knit, almost family group only two weeks before. Hard to believe that the simple truth that one of their number was a lot older than any of them thought, and immortal, could make such a big difference to the team dynamic after so many years.

General George Hammond sighed as he stood at the window overlooking the Stargate, the briefing table empty behind him. The reactions of their allies to the revelation had surprised them all, as they had then attempted to give reasonable reasons that Doctor Jackson shouldn't remain on Earth, or as a member of an active SG team. The biggest reason of them all, forwarded by the Tok'ra Anise had the general worried, because it was so true. What would happen if the good immortal Doctor were taken as a host by a Goa'uld.

The question had stumped them all, in it's realism and it's meaning. All this time that Doctor Jackson had been out there, there had been the likely hood that he could have been taken as a host. That a Goa'uld could have gained the ultimate advantage.

George shuddered. Doctor Jackson had no idea of the meetings that had been taking place, and no idea that the question had even been presented, thank whatever gods that did exist.

The elderly officer warily rubbed his eyes and turned back towards his office well aware that there was quite a stack of paperwork awaiting him on his desk. Most of which having nothing what so ever to do with the whole immortal situation.

Jack O'Neill stood up as the argument that had been slowly building in pace over the last few hours, became more heated, brown eyes dark with annoyance.

"Damnit Daniel!! You can't not tell us something like that!"

"Like what, that I'm older than you? Would you have honestly believed me Jack?" Daniel's voice was calm, unlike his friend's which carried an air of rage, thickening the atmosphere in the small room.

"If you had proved it yeah, sure, but you didn't even try!"

"Who said I didn't Jack? Hmmm, did my warnings and idle comments not tell you anything over the years?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean Jackson?" Samantha Carter winced slightly glancing at the fourth member of their group before casting a hesitant look back at the other two men.

"It means that maybe, you, just didn't want to believe it anyway! Maybe if I had told you before, you would never have taken it seriously, I mean, come on, the only reason we're here is that some NID agent decided to try and bump me off!"

"That's it isn't it," Jack lowered his voice meaningfully, "That's the whole thing isn't it Danny? You lied to protect yourself."

Daniel starred at the other man in disbelief, shaking his head as he turned away in disgust.

"Yeah, that's it." Jack's voice was low and dark as he spoke, mocking the other man, "You lied to protect your own sorry immortal butt!"

Daniel's shoulders stiffened suddenly and he swung back round, blue eyes suddenly cold. "You know what, Colonel? I have nothing to say to you."

Daniel turned and walked down the short corridor to his front door, opening it with a flourish. He met Jack's gaze, mouth set in a grim line. "Now go."

Without a word Jack moved past the other man, back straight, before turning and looking at his companions. "Carter?"

Sam winced before glancing at Daniel and deciding that it would be best to follow the colonel's example, she stood with Teal'c and made her move towards the door. She felt her friend's gaze rest on her back for a few moments as she followed the other two down the corridor and closed her eyes for a moment. How had it come to this?

Daniel slammed his door moodily once he was sure they were out of range. There was only so much even he could take before he lost it. Having his 'best' friend inform him that he 'lied to protect himself' had been the final straw. He needed a rest from it all himself. Time to straighten his thoughts and get adjusted to the situation.

Though he would never admit it to his friends, the situation wasn't easy on him either.

A gasp escaped his mouth as he shot up-right, brown eyes wide, breathing heavily as though he had just run a marathon, the young man lent heavily against the bed's headboard brown eyes fixed on the opposite wall as he pulled himself back to the real world away from his dream. Sitting up in his bed he opened the top draw of the table beside his bed his hand closing around the wire frames of his glasses. With a sigh a pushed himself out of bed and headed towards the bathroom for a shower.

The sound of running water filtered out from beneath the door as he showered, humming a random tune idly. Long fingers rubbed the shampoo into his hair, as he lent under the spray to rinse it off he glanced towards the mirror on the opposite wall looking away moments later as he remembered that there wasn't a mirror on the wall anymore. It was broken beyond repair and he had had nothing to do with it.

Hauling himself out of the shower, he carefully dried off pulling on the clothes that he had left in there the day before. Moving over to the sink he quickly shaved and washed his face never once glancing into the mirror.

With a sigh he turned and walked out of the room towards his kitchen, turning on the kettle and swiftly tossing a teabag into his mug ready for the hot water. Wandering back into the main room of his apartment he hit the play button on his answer phone knowing that there were a few messages waiting for his attention. The same typical messages from friends and ex-girlfriends who had never really known him carried on the air as he searched his cupboards for anything edible paying little attention to the voices coming from the machine knowing that in all reality none of them mattered. They would only be around for a few more years and then he would have to move on as always.

Brown eyes drifted to the mirror on the wall above the phone a tiny smile wandering onto his face. It amazed people how many mirrors he had in his apartment, well it amazed most people, he knew of at least four people who thought he would be better off without them.

Shaking his head sadly he pulled the only offering he could find from the last cupboard in his kitchen, a rather sorry looking can of soup. Glancing at the best before date on it's lid he smiled, he had a week to eat it, lucky, he had expected to find that it was at least two years out of date.

Levering himself upright he pulled a saucepan down from the rack above the main kitchen unit, before going in search of a can opener to open his find. Brown eyes narrowed in annoyance as he battled with the ancient piece of kitchen equipment that he decided was very close to being worthy of his teacher's present collection of all things ancient, including himself. The young man smiled at the thought, knowing that had he spoken it aloud within the old man's hearing he would have been beaten for such a nonsensical thought.

He grinned as he finally won his battle relived that he didn't have to search for his old Cornish blade in a final ditch attempt to beat the can to submission. Turning the front ring of the cooker on to what he thought to be a suitable heat, he turned the can upside down depositing it's contents into the pan as the stream of messages continued.

He groaned as his latest ex's whine started up. She was the one responsible for the broken mirror in his bathroom. She hadn't liked it, so she had broken it. The final straw that had broken the camel's back.

After three months of hell with the attention seeking bitch from hell as a girlfriend he had thrown her out making his thoughts on her behaviour and the likelihood of a reunion known. Had she understood? Nope, not one word.

He ran a hand through his dark brown, almost black hair, leaning back against the work surface listening for the last message to run so he could delete them all. He froze, brown eyes widening as he listened to a very familiar voice and it's message, only moving to take the soup off the heat when it tried to boil over.

As the message ended he reached around the door and grabbed his phone's handset, hitting the off button on the answering machine and dialling a well known number and waiting. As the person on the other end picked up he straightened, pulling a bowl out of a cupboard and pouring the soup in, waiting to be sure that the right person had picked up the phone.

"It's me, I just got a message from Tom... Lily's gone."

The sound of his phone ringing was enough to bring Daniel out of his thoughts and back to the real world and he hurriedly pulled himself upright and made his way to the telephone table, grabbing the phone before whoever was on the other end could hang up on him.

"Hello?" He knew he sounded tried, but in all honesty he didn't care.

"It's me, I just got a message from Tom... Lily's gone."

"Tintagel." Daniel's voice was soft.

"Yeah old man, it's me, I thought you would want to know."

Daniel nodded slowly before remembering that the other man couldn't see. "Yeah, thanks. What else do you know?"

Daniel heard the other man sigh. "Nothing, the message was pretty vague to be honest. Anyhow, I've got to go."

"Thanks, Will."

Daniel stood perfectly still for a few moments, letting the facts sink in before setting the now dead phone gently down on it's base. Blue eyes retained a fixed gaze on the opposite wall as he worked through his immediate reaction to the news.

This wasn't good. Nothing that contained the words 'Lily' and 'Missing' in the same sentence could ever be good.

Thomas Lane rested his head on his hands, a sob of despair escaping his mouth. After all this time, he had slipped up, he had left her undefended for a moment and _they_ had taken advantage of it.

He should have known better than to let her go out, especially if none of them were going, it wasn't safe, her normal friends and comrades didn't understand. Would never understand.

She couldn't defend herself from it all. From the evil that people were so blind to. The evil that seemed to be everywhere, no matter what any of them did.

He'd lost her. His lover. The healer. The defenceless young one who would never hurt another soul. Never. It wasn't her nature. Her father was right, it wasn't her nature now, and never would be, or that would be the end. If she ever changed those believes they were all doomed.

But now he was the one who was doomed. He had lost her. He had lost her and her father would know soon enough.

The father who was never anywherenearover-protective where his youngest was concerned. She would never be able to defend herself from what she needed to be defended from. She had to be protected from the darkness in the reality she had been born into. Luckily, she had been born to the right parents. Her mother, though mortal, had understood the other side of the everyday world and had hidden her daughter from it as she had grown up. Her father, one of the wisest, and surely the eldest, living immortals was an ever dependable guardian for his daughter, always there for her when ever he was needed. Ready to help with what ever she needed. Always looking out for her, without her even being aware of it.

Tom shook silently as he cried, needing her to be there for him, for her to not be anywhere but with him, where he could protect her, and ask her what he had been waiting to ask for so long. But he couldn't and she wasn't.

It never worked the way you wanted, he had learned that at a young age. But it still hurt.

It hurt even more now. With his soul-mate gone, and her fate uncertain.


	2. Part One

**Part One**

I'm sure that I could never  
make it through the night without you here  
the fires in the sky  
illuminate the demons closing in  
  
have mercy on my soul  
if I am not the last  
have mercy on my soul  
if I am not the last to go  
  
as I crawl around these trails  
and fight upon this widowing field  
the ground below is bare and burned  
at the places I have learned to trust You  
  
have mercy on my soul  
if I am not the last  
have mercy on my soul  
if I am not the last to go  
I am not the last to go  
  
when even silence sets my heart to racing  
I will lift my eyes to you  
please, Father, find me  
  
have mercy on my soul...  
have mercy on my soul  
if I am not the last  
have mercy on my soul  
if I am not the last  
have mercy on my soul  
if I am not the last  
have mercy on my soul  
if I am not the last to go

Daniel stood out on his balcony watching as people rushed to and from work, met friends for coffee, basically living their lives the same the same way they always did, unaware of all the different things that were happening around them that they couldn't possibly imagine. He knew that a good number of the people who worked with him at the SGC watched the people around them with normal lives wondering what would happen if those people knew the things that they knew.

If they knew that somewhere deep down in the depths of Cheyenne mountain was a large stone ring that could allow a person to travel from one end of the galaxy to the other in seconds. That aliens are very real, and there was a war going on.

He never really thought about that. He had always thought about what would happen if they ever found out about the immortal world. The dangers that existed within it and all the things that had been lost over time, that he could still remember.

And now he was wondering what it was all for, why did it have to happen, why did it always come down to the battle between the 'good' element and the 'bad' element, why did he always seem to be the one paying the price?

The past week had been a test of his patience as the medical staff had entered into a fury of tests on his blood, muscle tissue, anything and everything, all of which they had seen and done before, but that they felt had to done again. Because it wasn't possible that immortals had the exact same physiology as a normal, mortal, person. Despite the fact that, that was what the tests had shown to be true.

And his friends, it was like they were different people, Jack's accusation that he had been lying to protect himself had been the last straw, his patience had run out. He was tired, he hadn't had time to recover from 'dying', or from the emotional stress born of his time in the cell.

His fingertips brushed the marks on his arm left by the 'sharks' and he sighed. Janet hadn't understood how he could have healed every other injury but not quite healed his arm, leaving a set of faded marks and discolorations. He hadn't even tried to explain, not wanting the tests to be repeated yet again just because of one idle comment on his part.

And now, now this. Lily was missing and no doubt very much in danger, which meant he would have to leave Colorado, without the SGC following, or knowing where he was going. He needed to help, needed to be able to do something useful. To protect Lily.

He wondered how the others would react to the rest of it. The stuff he hadn't told them knowing that they were still trying to recover from the idea of immortality. The fact that he had children and students, immortal friends and relations. That there was a whole world within the one that they knew, that existed due to the existence of immortality.

He didn't even know if he _could _ever tell them. If he could ever make them face the reality of the world they had lived in all of their lives and still knew so little about.

Turning away from the view he ran a hand through his hair suddenly feeling his age more than ever. It was time to go, pack up what he knew he would need, phone the base, claim some down-time, and head out to where he knew people were waiting.

"So, he phoned in requested some down time and then, what? Just went AWOL, you don't have any idea where he could have gone???" The young woman frowned at her desk as she spoke to the informant on the other end of the telephone line in Colorado. She had only just been assigned to the case and already the man in question had vanished. Called in for down time, something he was notorious for never doing, before disappearing from the face of the earth. Impossible. She wasn't about to make the same mistake her predecessor had. Oh no. She _knew_ she could do better than that. And she would. She would never end up on the wrong side of a set of bars. Not in a million years. She would find him, no matter what, she would not give up. People didn't just vanish. They hid.

Jack O'Neill glanced sideways at his second in command as he turned off the road following her instructions. As far as he could tell they were headed into the middle of nowhere, but then where they were headed wasn't the important thing. The important thing was they were following Daniel.

None of it made sense. Firstly your best friend tells you he's an immortal, then a while later once you think you've dealt with it, you have an argument, and then the next day he phones in for down time, something he has never done unless ill, and goes off with so much as a buy-you-or-leave-you. It was too much, too quickly. But Danny-boy didn't seem to think that.

What he wouldn't give to have never have been told.

Daniel ran a hand through his hair tiredly as he levered himself out of his car, moving round to grab his bag from the boot before locking it and heading off down the footpath into the darkness of the forest.

He winced as a twig snapped under his feet cursing his tense nerves and his old friend's love of out of the way places. But, if anyone could help him it was her, which meant walking down dark wooded paths in an eerie silence, miles from anywhere, even in the heavily populated modern world.

He swept a cobweb out of the way, a disgusted expression touching his features, it was ok for the bard, she wasn't as tall as he was so the cobwebs didn't get in her face, so they didn't effect her, lucky.

A light smile touched his lips as he reached his destination, the small clearing with it's small, ancient hut similar to the one that she had lived in before, when this had all started for her.

A long time after it had all started for him, though it had only gotten this complicated within the past seven years. Which was just typical considering his track record.

It always came back to the same thing, mortals questioning the immortal, because they had what they wanted, and feared so much when they saw it in others, immortality the one thing that could bring out the worst in people, like war and peace, it was a curse for those who had it, but a temptation to those who didn't. But that was the way it was, he couldn't change it, he knew that now. He had learned that a long time ago, with grief, hatred and regret.

Sam sighed as she climbed out of the car, cornflower blue eyes settling on Daniel's car where it was parked in the small lay-by in the track. It seemed like such an odd place to go, out in the middle of nowhere, in an unpopulated area, especially when you didn't have camping equipment or food with you.

Glancing at the two men she realised that they were most likely thinking along similar lines. It didn't make sense, this wasn't the kind of thing that Daniel did, he didn't take time off, he didn't spend hours in his car driving out to the middle of nowhere for no apparent reason. But then that didn't matter did it, after all they didn't really know him all that well did they? For a start he wasn't a thirty-six year old archaeologist, come linguist, he was a lot older, and knew a lot more than any of them about immortality and things they couldn't even imagine. Like what the world was like before, all those years ago, when history wasn't recorded on paper, the time told of only by a few broken pots and stone circles.

She sighed shaking it off, she was thinking too much. She glanced at the path leading into the wood raising an eyebrow. Yeah, way too much thinking, not enough doing.

Daniel stepped up to the doorway, hesitating for a moment, glancing over his shoulder as the sound of a twig snapping caught his attention. Frowning he knocked before stepping back to wait, blue eyes settling for a moment on the end of the path he had come down, a light grin touched his lips as he realised what it was that he most likely heard. This could be interesting.

The door opened, pulling his attention back to the task at hand, he smiled as he met with a pale icy blue stare.

Tom paced aware of the young woman watching him from the table, her gentle gaze following his every move. He rubbed his hands together worriedly, his gaze constantly moving around the room, his frustration at his incapability to do anything clear.

"Tom, sit down, this isn't going to help." Softly accented Amelia's voice was gentle as she watched the younger man pacing, mentally laughing at the thought of how deceiving appearances really were when immortals were together in a room. Having died for the first time at twenty-nine she looked eleven years younger than Tom, since he had died at forty, older than most of them, Alastair included. It was odd how when they all let the masks fall away it clear as daylight who was the oldest and who the youngest, just by their behaviour. Where they were concerned, the older you got the calmer you got when faced with this kind of situation, a fact that could be scary when her elders were in the room, they were so calm it was frightening.

Tom's only answer to her suggestion was a single glance in her direction, nothing more, nothing less. More than she had expected considering the occasion. She allowed herself a grim smile at that thought. Only an occasion like this could bring them together so quickly.

Alastair was no doubt already out in the back of the beyond collecting his passengers, Will was on a plane headed to the nearest airport to her and Tom's location, and that was them all, they had decided that it was best to keep their group small, so as to hide their activities better, after all a large group of immortals didn't often get together, six was understandable, a little friendly get-together. If only the situation was like that.

She sighed again glancing at her appointed charge, she privately agreed with him, all this sitting doing nothing wasn't helping matters. But then it wasn't making them worse, which was a good thing. Through if the bard was right, they had something more to worry about other than a missing 'child' and the identity of her keepers, bad things come in threes. Or so she had said on many an occasion like this one involving friendly little get-togethers. Many an occasion.

The woman was clearly in her late thirties-early forties, her long black hair hung around her shoulders in stark contrast to her pale colouring, and ice blue eyes. A smile touched her slim lips as she looked her visitor over with a critical eye, eyebrows raised.

They had known one another for longer than most people could imagine, through she was over two millennia his junior. They had a deep understanding of one another, and valued their friendship more than their personal safety, it was second only to their loved ones, who's lives were worth far more to them then their own. It was a shared idea which only served to push their respect for each other up a notch. They had worked well together many a time in the past few centuries.

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to get here, come on in, we've been waiting." She backed into the passageway to allow him to move inside motioning for him close the door and then follow her lead further into the hut.

As they entered the main sitting area a delighted laugh met them as a young woman leapt to her feet and into Daniel's arms, pulling him into a warm embrace. "I have never been so relieved to see anybody in my whole life! Gods Alastair it's been too long."

Daniel smiled sadly, "It's good to see you too, I just wish it were on better circumstances."

The woman nodded, green eyes full of worry. "You know what they say, about bad things always coming in threes? I'm starting to hate the person who came up with that."

Daniel frowned at the younger woman, confused, "Gabrielle?"

The young woman winced ducking her head. "You don't know." Her voice was soft.

"We only found out an hour ago ourselves," The elder of the two women took over calmly, "Tom called, Ami's with him at present, the word is Rhys took her, which means Merritt has her now." Her voice was serious as she finished watching for his reaction.

Daniel closed his eyes, turning away from them and pushing his hands through his hair.

"Makes sense." His voice was soft and emotionless as his hands dropped back to his sides as he shook his head. "Why did this have to happen now, after everything that's happened, why now?" A sigh escaped his lips as he rubbed his face warily, lost in his own thoughts.

Teal'c stopped as he found himself in a small clearing that the path opened out into, brown eyes settling on the hut that was at in it's middle.

"O'Neill, I do believe we have discovered Daniel Jackson's destination." Jack stepped out of the trees to stand alongside Teal'c, nodding in agreement before glancing back over his shoulder at Sam.

"You could say that T, any idea who Danny's visiting Carter?" Sam shook her head eyes wide.

"No sir."

Jack took a deep breath scanning the area, "So, I guess we knock and see who's at home."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow before inclined his head in agreement, while Sam offered a tight smile.

"Whatever you say sir."

Raven crossed her arms over her chest as she stalked down the corridor to the room she knew Rhys was in. Finding her teacher's sister tied up in one of the locked rooms in the large 'deserted' factory building was the last straw this time.

The door slammed behind her making the other two men in the room, with her lover, jump. They were scared of her, and she didn't care, it didn't matter where she was, or who she loved, she would always be a Chosen, and they would always be the 'chosen' of Morrigan and her sister Ceridwen, her enemies, the people who had spent years hunting her for fun. The only thing that mattered was that her lover was one of them. One of the people who were meant to be her enemy, the people who had murdered her husband and children.

But her heart had forgotten that when she had saved him, had forgotten that she wasn't supposed to love her enemy. Just as his had done the same.

They were both stuck in an impossible situation, she couldn't kill them because that would betray his trust, and he couldn't kill any of her people, because that would betray her trust. Or at least that was what she had believed. Now she wasn't so sure.

Rhys glanced at her, examining her expression for a few moments before dismissing the two men, knowing that what would follow next was not for their ears.

"I'm sorry love. Merritt..." Raven cut off his comment with a violent hand motion, anger glowing in her brown eyes.

"Merritt? What does that, that, THING, have to do with this Rhys??? You promised me,"

She stopped turning her head away as a tear ran down her cheek, her anger abating for a few moments. "How do you expect me to trust you completely when every time, you, every time I turn my back you do something he tells you to do. When you hurt the people I care about?" She shook her head at him.

"How Rhys? Love? Don't you think I've been wishing it were that simple for the past five centuries?" Sorrowful brown eyes met his before she turned away. "They'll come for her Rhys, and I will help them."

Xena pulled the door open smiling coolly at the three startled faces in front of her. Her six foot frame filled the doorway as she examined each one in turn, thin dark eyes brows raising ever so slightly as she passed a glance over the largest of the group.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't let any one follow you next time you come out here Alastair, it scares the fish away."

A feminine snort echoed in the small corridor as Gabrielle rolled her eyes. "Everything scares the fish away. Water scares the fish away."

Xena frowned at the muttered comments, sharp blue eyes narrowing. Gabrielle held up her hands, standing on tiptoe to glance over her friend's shoulder. Her green eyes met deep brown ones as Teal'c solemnly raised an inquiring eyebrow. She exchanged a look with Xena before the two women grinned.

"I'm not sure if I should be worried about you two or afraid." Daniel brushed past Gabrielle smiling reassuringly at Jack and the others as he did so.

"Oh, be afraid, be _very_ afraid." Gabrielle giggled shaking her head at the older woman.

Daniel frowned giving them both a funny look. "Suddenly I feel an urge to find Zack and Lucy rather than take up you two in your offer of help."

Xena sobered casting a grim look at the three mortal members of SG-1. "I can only hope that you're right to trust them with this old man, you know better than any of us what the cost would be if we fail."

She turned on her heel heading down the corridor into her kitchen, pulling Gabrielle along in her wake.

"It's complicated." Daniel sighed as he paced the confided space of Xena's living room, his gaze flitting around erratically. "Everything is so much more complicated than any of you think."

Jack scowled at his best friend, annoyed. "Yeah, well we don't know much do we??? I mean we have very little to go on Danny!!"

Gabrielle lent on the doorframe frowned as she listened, it wasn't like Alastair, he didn't seem to have a clue where to start. As long as she had known him he had been steadfast and reliable rarely stuck for words in any situation. And now here he was standing in front of her, tongue tied.

"Complicated is a, nice way to put it if you ask me." Her voice was soft as she met Daniel's gaze stepping into the room. "Could I...?"

Daniel gave her a warm smile of gratitude . "Sure, you're the bard."

Gabrielle smiled. "There are good and bad immortals. The chosen are good, the spell-casters and seekers are, bad. But that's just a basic, as much as you need to know at present kind of summary. So please, don't nit-pick." She shot Jack an impatient look as he closed his mouth, frowning. _Great, another Xena. _"We aren't, God what is that, oh, we aren't sterile. We can all have children." She glanced in the direction of the kitchen as a muttered comment reached her ears. "And many of us have had children, but they don't inherit our immortality. Don't ask me why, they just don't."

"And, so, therefore the point in this immortal crap 101 is????" Jack met her gaze steadily mouth set in a grim line.

She glanced at Daniel who shrugged dismissively as though it was all normal. But then for all she knew this could be normal. "Well, there's a situation," She winced at the military sounding comment before continuing. "Some of the, bad, immortals have, taken, well kidnapped, one of us."

Daniel nodded. "And it's very important that we get our fellow, good, immortal back. And as soon as is possible." He couldn't help but wonder if it sounded the same to them as it did to him. Like someone explaining something to their children who were a little too young to be told about such things. Patronizing. It sounded patronizing.

"What exactly happened?" Sam questioned voice soft. "I mean how was this, 'good', immortal taken???"

Daniel glanced at Gabrielle raising his eyebrows. Smiling tightly she took up the challenge. "She was on a night out, she was taken on the street. That's all we know."

Jack snorted. "That's it??? All you know is that she was taken on the street?? You don't know where she could be, or who of the 'bad' immortals could have take her???" He shook his head in disgust.

Daniel frowned at his friend, blue eyes emotionless. "Merritt took her. She's with him now. Serena wouldn't bother with Lily, she would have taken one of the other three. It was Merritt."

Daniel turned away walking out of the room. Gabrielle watched, green eyes sad, understanding her friend's reaction and the truth in his words. It was all just a plan to get to them. One of them in particular.

Jack and the others looked to her for an explanation but all she could think was what would happen if they didn't succeed. They had to succeed, they had to get her back. Somehow, no matter what it took.

Ami pulled the door open before Will could do anything more than merely raise his hand. She smiled warily at her old friend, as she moved to one side so that he could move past her, silently pushing the door closed after him. She starred at the wooden door in front of her nose as she took a deep breath, hand on the door handle.

"This is hard on him Will, I can't bare watching him pace."

Will frowned, brown eyes resting on her slightly bowed head. They had known each other for years, having shared a teacher and being close in age. One hundred and sixty three years older, she had always been the more mature of the pair, with a gift that involved a deep empathy for other people's pain. Their relationship had evolved into a brother/sister one, as they had grown closer over the years. In all the years he had known her he had only seen her like this three times.

"You ok Am??" His voice was soft, knowing that she didn't what anyone else to hear what was said. She turned slowly looking up to met is gaze, sorrowful blue eyes dark.

"Better than Tom is. I mean, he's lost his soul-mate - can you imagine how much that must hurt? I can't. I've never had that Will." _but I wish I could have._ Will heard the unspoken part of her speech and winced in sympathy.

"I'll take care of him for a bit if you want a break." He made the offer casually staring at a point above her head as he did so.

Ami laughed at her friend's behaviour, breaking the dark mood. "Sure, I've been wanting to go shopping." She smiled sweetly at him. "Want anything??"

Will glared at her for a few moments before pulling his shaving kit out of his pocket. "Got what I need thanks."

Ami snorted. "Typical."

Xena looked up from the sink as Daniel entered the room raising an eyebrow. Bright azure eyes met her's as he gave her a slight smile, shrugging in idle dismissal.

"Gabrielle gave them most of the basics, and when I say basics, I mean basics. It was like listening to a mother telling her children not to talk to strangers."

Xena frowned, a worried look gracing her features. "Danny, did you tell them??"

Daniel swallowed moving to stand beside her and stare grimly out the window. "No." His voice was a whisper, his worry and despair clear in the single word.

Xena sighed, idly resuming her task, "You have to Danny, they have to understand."

Her voice was gentle as she spoke, her empathy to his plight clear in her tone. It was hard on anyone, but it was worse for them, in their immortality they had lost a lot of things that normal people had. Like the knowledge that your children will probably out live you. They didn't have it, not even those of them with immortal children.

Calmly placing the last dish on the draining board she dried her hands before turning to face him, placing a hand on his shoulder, silently offering her support and nodding towards the door.

Jack glowered at the door while Teal'c and Sam examined the young woman who had been introduced to them as Gabrielle, another immortal, who looked, Jack noted, to be in her late twenties to early thirties.

"How do you know Daniel Jackson??" Teal'c tone was it's normal solemn self as he questioned her, a fact that didn't surprise Jack, to anyone but a select few Teal'c always sounded like that, it was rare for people to notice his slight inflections on certain words. For example, at the moment Teal'c was intrigued by what they had been told a few minutes before hand.

The sound of a woman's voice drifted through the open door, but it was too quiet for him to be able to identify anything else but the sex of the speaker, and since there were only two other people in the hut that they knew of, the speaker had to be the other, older, woman Xena.

"Through Xena." The young woman's answer was brief her attention clearly not on them as she stared at the open doorway as through she expected something to walk through and attack them. Jack snorted making her jump, before he stood to follow his friend. Daniel had a lot of explaining to do.

A small hand closed around his upper arm from behind, forcing him to turn to face the young green eyed woman.

"Give him time colonel." Her voice was gentle as she pulled him over to the sofa that the other two members of his team were occupying and pushing him down onto it's soft cushioned surface. She glanced at each of them in turn a frown tainting her soft features for a few moments before she sighed.

"Alastair," Gabrielle examined a spot on the far wall for a few moments, taking a deep careful breath. "We know each other, well, he helped me after," Her voice wavered a moment her gaze resting on a picture of her and Xena that was hung on the wall. "After she died for the first time. She, well she stayed, dead for longer than anybody. I mean, she's my," Gabrielle flattered not knowing how to continue, doubting they would honestly understand. She shook her head vaguely, "doesn't matter." She smiled lightly, shrugging in dismissal. "I've known him since, oh, Caesar, Julius, a long time."

Sam frowned at her, she had noticed that the young woman had been leading up to something but had moved away from it, but she decided that it was most likely best left alone.

"A very long time." Daniel's voice came from the doorway as he stepped into the room again. Meeting Jack's gaze, he took a deep breath. "There's something that you guys should know, about this,"

He hesitated, moving to allow Xena to enter the room and cross over to pull Gabrielle out of the way to one side, exchanging a meaningful look with the younger woman as she did so. Gabrielle nodded silently, understanding, hand gripping her best friend's harder.

Daniel glanced up at the wall behind his mortal friends, idly biting his bottom lip. "There's more to it then we said before. Lily, is, she's important." Xena groaned, gaining a heavy frown.

"I'm not good at this, 'kay??" Daniel dared her to take over from him, pinning her with a glare, before continuing. "She's important to me,"

Sam jerked upright mouth opening as Jack's eyes widened, Teal'c remaining motionless.

"You son of a bit.." Daniel cut his best friend off raising a finger in the air and narrowing his eyes.

"Not the way you're thinking. The reason she means a lot to me, is," Daniel bit his lip slightly, cocking his head on one side as he seemed to think about what he was going to say next, how to phrase it, "The reason is she's my youngest, well, no, she's my youngest IMMORTAL child." He met Jack's gaze steadily. "She's my daughter Jack."


	3. Part Two

**Part Two**

Where once was light  
Now darkness falls  
Where once was love  
Love is no more  
Don't say goodbye  
Don't say I didn't try  
  
These tears we cry  
Are falling rain  
For all the lies you told us  
The hurt, the blame!  
And we will weep to be so alone  
We are lost  
We can never go home  
  
So in the end  
I'll be what I will be  
No loyal friend  
Was ever there for me  
  
Now we say goodbye  
We say you didn't try  
  
These tears you cry  
Have come too late  
Take back the lies  
The hurt, the blame!  
  
And you will weep  
When you face the end alone  
You are lost  
You can never go home  
You are lost  
You can never go home

The young woman's groan echoed in the silence of the darkened cell, a frown brushing her pale features as she struggled to open her eyes. Pale blonde hair hung limply around her shoulders as she lifted her head, blinking in the darkness.

Licking her lips nervously she winced as her movements pulled on her bound hands, causing the rope to bite deeper into her skin, a fresh trickle of blood running down her hands to join the small puddle beneath them on the dull grey concrete floor.

"Hello??" Lillian O'Connell's voice was hoarse as she called out, unsure if she would gain an answer or not. Bracing herself, she swung her hair out of her face to get a better look at her surroundings in the near darkness. She had no doubt of who had taken her, the spell-casters and their kin had hunted her kind since the beginning, as long as their had been immortals on Earth. And she was a prime target for such and attack, unwilling or able to defend herself, she relied upon her elders to protect her from the darkness born from the dreams of mortals.

The war was ongoing though she would never know what it was to be a warrior in it. She was a healer, not a warrior, she would never spill blood on a battle field, she would eternally fight to pull people, mortal and immortal alike through illness and injury. She could never be a killer.

A fond smile touched her lips as she thought of Tom, her one true love, her soul-mate. She had no doubt he worried for her, in so many ways he reminded her of her father. They would both do anything to protect her. And they were both stubborn.

A single tear rolled down her pale cheek as she thought of how much worry and despair they would both be feeling, both feeling like they had failed her somehow. Both feeling like they could have done something to prevent her from being taken, something to keep her from the evil that stalked their every move. The evil her father battled to keep hidden from any mortals, gaze.

The war that her elders fought was being waged in the dark of the night, beyond mortal sight, and beyond histories memory, for it had once been fought in the light. And had cost her father his first love.

She bit her lip as the noise of rats going about their business invaded the space, fear gripping her heart as she wondered about the future. About what it would hold for them all.

"Daughter?" The question was whispered as Jack stared at his best friend, barely believing what he had said only moments before.

Daniel sighed, wincing. "Yeah. She's my daughter Jack." Ancient blue eyes full of worry and frustration met brown as Daniel waved a hand vaguely. "I have to get her back, if not for me than for Tom. And her mother." The last was a bare whisper as he turned away from them all.

Gabrielle had gone pale, green eyes widening. "Dear Gods, he was going to ask her wasn't he?" Her voice was soft and full of empathy.

Daniel nodded wordlessly. "The night they took her, he asked me last month, and we agreed it would be the best time." Daniel laughed bitterly. "The only problem with waiting for the right moment when you live lives like ours Gabrielle child, the right time is always the same time, they, make their move."

Xena winced squeezing her best friend's hand once more she pulled away. "I'll just finish packing and then we're gone." She paused glancing at the three mortals who were sat, thunder struck, "It's your choice, stay here or come with us, either way, we're leaving."

Nodding she moved out of the room, hand brushing Daniel's arm in comfort as she passed.

"We'll get her back, she's her mother's daughter, and 'Ana was one stubborn woman."

Daniel nodded softly before taking a deep breath and turning back to face his friends, meeting their gazes one by one.

"The people that took Lily are dangerous, they're the people I was protecting _you_, "He threw Jack a meaningful glance as he spoke the last, "from, it's your choice to make, either you're with us, or you're not, but I've already made my choice."

Teal'c inclined his head grimly. "I will assist you Daniel Jackson."

Sam glanced at her commanding officer hesitating, meeting her gaze Jack nodded solemnly. "We're with you Danny."

Gabrielle smiled lightly, exchanging a look with Daniel. "It's good to know." Taking a deep breath she turned to stare out the window. "I guess it's once more into the breech then."

The sound of the 'gate activating drew George Hammond into the control room to watch as the stone ring prepared for the incoming worm-hole. None of the SG teams were due back, but they were due visitors - the Tok'ra coming for a second round of talks on the subject of immortals and their safety. There was one blessing in the situation through, none of the members of SG-1 were present to hear the endlessly pointless talks. No matter what arguments their allies came up with Doctor Jackson still refused to leave earth for the 'safety' of the Tok'ra base or an Ausgart ship. He was always ready with some argument of his own on how both of their most powerful allies had problems of their own to deal with as it was without having to care for his safety as well.

George sighed as the worm hole settled watching as Jacob and Anise made their way down the ramp followed by a Tok'ra he hadn't seen before, but most likely had come to present yet another option for Doctor Jackson's safety.

It all seemed so wrong, unfair even, how could they make another person's decision for him?? How could they force an immortal man to live his life by their rules- a life that could well continue for an eternity beyond any of their own.

It seemed too much like locking him in a padded cell, only this time they would do it for _his _safety, not for the safety of those around him, or maybe that was wrong, maybe the reason Earth's off-world allies were so adamant about what should be done with the immortal in their midst was due to something else.

Maybe it was due to fear. A fear of what he could be capable of. Of the threat he could pose to them in some odd unbelievably twisted way, that only their alien minds could dream up. Perhaps they feared his age and wisdom was beyond their own, or that he could know of some of the things that they had kept hidden from the 'young' Tauri.

From what he had learned over the many years of dealing with all the different peoples they had met in the time the SGC had been working as they were, very little was impossible. If a circle of stone was capable of forming open worms holes which allowed the travel from one end of the universe to another in a split second, then what wasn't possible was a question that not even the PhD scientists of the SGC - the best and brightest, could answer.

George smiled warily as he met Jacob's gaze, preparing himself for the hours of explanations and suggestions that were no doubt about to be presented to him.

It looked like it was going to be another very long day.

Jack sat in the passenger side of the truck musing over the revelation that they had just had into the mystery that Daniel Jackson had become to them in less than a month. Not only was he an immortal but he also had kids, something that Jack had never really thought of conserving his 'best' friend. He had never seemed like a guy who had settled down and had kids and then left due to what ever circumstances, but than from what he had heard he wouldn't be surprised if Daniel's daughter's mother was dead. A fact that Jack realised disturbed him, the fact that Sha're wasn't the first woman that Daniel had lost, that he had out lived. How much more loss had Daniel experienced that they didn't know about? How many times had he had to watch someone he loved die of old age while he stood untouched by the rigors of time by their side?

Jack glanced sideways at his second in command wondering what she was thinking and whether it was all about Daniel, or if her mind was on someone else, or something else. It was the worse looking at Teal'c, very little of his thoughts or emotions played over his face, even if you did know him he was impossible to read at times.

"It's weird sir." Sam's voice suddenly invaded his thoughts, bringing him back to the present. "Daniel having a daughter."

Jack swallowed. "Yeah, it is."

Daniel frowned at Xena as she shifted in the seat for the third time in half as many minutes. They had an hour's drive left before they would reach Lily and Tom's house on the outskirts of the city in which they both worked. He had a feeling that her discomfort was centred around Jack, Sam and Teal'c. She had never really been attracted to 'mortal' relationships since her discovery that she was immortal, she had actively distanced herself from them, all of her serious relationships were formed with other immortals. On some level Gabrielle had done the same, becoming less of a member of the mortal world than before, an outsider who stepped in and out of the fold.

It was funny to think how each of them had distanced themselves in their own way, he had distanced himself differently, idly sharing companionship with mortals but always leaving them without all the information that they all seemed so keen to have. What his parents' were like, if he had any siblings, any children, most of it was answered vaguely, as he carefully crafted a past for himself each time that he had to start anew. This had been the one time that had been different, this time, thanks to a spell-caster, he had a real 'second' past to relive when asked about personal details. But he had still left a level of the unknown in his personal life, something that the mortals couldn't see, couldn't touch, until now. Now the people of the SGC where seeing an element of it, of the one thing that had always been his, hidden from their sights.

He sighed grounding himself in the present once more, knowing that concentrating on driving was a much more important thing, at present, as well as making sure that he could still see Jack's truck in the rear view mirror.

That had been Xena's one term, that they travelled in separate cars, immortals in one mortals in the other. She wasn't comfortable with them yet, and he wasn't honestly sure if she ever would be.

Amelia glowered at Will from across the room as she determinately ran her brush through her hair, clearing it of the tiny plaits that he had imposed on her while she had been asleep. It was bad enough without Will acting like his typical immature self.

It was fair enough to point out that falling asleep on the kitchen floor wasn't the best idea, that wasn't what bothered her. What bothered her was the fact that he had demurely continued to plait her hair, as through she wasn't even there.

It hadn't really been her fault that she had fallen asleep when she had anyway. Will and Tom had both insisted that she needed sleep and seen as she hadn't been able to reach a suitable state naturally she had turned to other means, namely sleeping pills.

Both men had informed her that it had been her own fault, but in truth she felt cheated, she hadn't expected them to work as quickly as they had, even if it had said on the label, most of the time that was wrong.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as the brush caught on one of the plaits forcing her to move on it with her fingers. Blue eyes flicked upwards as Tom entered the room, still looking somewhat the worse for wear despite a long shower.

He was slightly better than he had been before Will had arrived, no longer as jumpy having gained a firmer hold upon his emotions. More than she would have expected from anyone in his situation, but then he did have the knowledge that she wasn't dead, for what it was worth.

His pale blue eyes met hers as he brushed past her into the kitchen in search of a snack to fill the emptiness that they all knew couldn't be filled by food.

Without hesitation she reached out and closed a hand around his upper arm, holding him back.

"We'll get her back Tom, and soon." The depth of emotion in his eyes was all the answer she needed as she released him to his fruitless search, praying to the gods that the others would arrive soon. That the waiting would be over for them. But things never seemed to be that simple for any of them. Not even love, she glanced towards Tom and bit her lip hard, especially not love.

Raven sighed leaning heavily on the wall as tears of frustration fan down her face. None of this should be happening, how could she have not seen what was happening?? How hadn't she stopped it before it had gotten this bad?

What was the worth of his so called love?? What had happened to the trust the openness, what had happened to the relationship she had been in only a few years before?

All the lies, all the things she had told herself, desperate not to loose him, promises she had made to herself while crying herself to sleep, what were they worth now.

Someone she loved was tied up in a room not far away and all she could do was cry and wallow in self-pity. What had happened to her? What had she allowed him to do in her own so called 'infinite wisdom'?

What was the worth of a love that seemed to be continually rotting away at her soul, destroying her beliefs, betraying her trust?

Was his love really worth all the pain?

She didn't know.

Will hung out of the door searching the road for the two cars that Ami had said had just pulled up, both with three people in. Odd considering they had only been expecting three people. Brown eyes settled on a tall black haired woman who had just climbed out of the passenger side of the first car. A smile touched his lips as he waved to her before turning his attention to the people who occupied the second car. He was certain that he didn't know any of them. Or at least as sure as he ever got that he had never met any of them before.

"Tintagel!" A very familiar voice hailed him from the direction of the first car as his teacher calmly made his way over, having locked and secured the vehicle while Will's attention had been on the others. Will turned meeting his teacher part way and exchanging a very masculine welcome, neatly ignoring the temptation to hug the old man who had easily become a father figure to him.

"They're here to help." Daniel's voice was soft as he followed Will's gaze in Jack's direction.

"They're mortal." The surprise in Will's voice didn't surprise him. It had been a long time since any mortal had been involved in immortal affairs.

Daniel nodded solemnly. "I trust them."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow watching Daniel and Will's quiet exchange as he waited for the others to join him. He hadn't shared his thoughts on the newest of revelation with the other mortal members of the team doubting that they would agree with him. Both where still recovering from the initial admission that he was an immortal, while Teal'c himself was long past it, he had long suspected that Daniel had had some experience with children, even had children of his own while watching him with Ry'ac or Cassandra or even the young girl Ally who had helped them a few years before. He had also wondered of the possibility that an immortal could have children, wondering if they were sterile as a side effect of their gift. His newest wonder was how many children his friend had and if they were all immortal.

Will's glance rested on Teal'c. "How much?"

Daniel frowned at the younger immortal, once his student. "With my life."

Will's head jerked round, brown eyes ever so slightly wider than before. "Then they're welcome."

Daniel nodded clapping him on the shoulder again before turning and heading down the steps to where the others where waiting knowing that he had to settle this all with his mortal friends before anything else could be done. Hopefully they wouldn't be too awkward.

Rhys lent over the sink warily splashing cold water into his face, erasing the evidence of the tears that she had so easily drawn from him, the one thought in his mind being whether it was worth this. Was carrying out Merritt's orders more important than Raven? More important than his well meant promises?

No nothing that the brat could ask him to do was ore important than her, she meant more to him than anything. More than he had ever imagined anything could.

She mattered enough that he had considering leaving this, giving up the fight and allowing her to re-take her place with her fellow chosen, but he couldn't. They would never allow it. They'd kill him for trying.

Wouldn't they???

Pale blue eyes met brown as Raven knelt in front of the chair, placing a gentle hand on the younger woman's arm. Lily shook her hair out of her face frowning as she mentally tried to place the familiar face before her.

"Rachael??" Her voice came out as a rasp due to lack of food or drink, a deep line forming between her thin eyebrows as she connected the face with a memory. A memory from her childhood.

Raven nodded softly running a gentle hand down the younger woman's face. "Yeah, honey it's me. How you doing?" A single tear ran down her pale cheek.

Lily swallowed smiling vaguely. "I've been better. I. I don't suppose you could," Her voice wavered along with her confidence as she realised that things might not be as they seemed. Friend could easily be foe.

Raven smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, I should have stopped this," She looked away for a moment before turning back. "Do you want some water??? I could get some for you?"

Lily smiled nodded softly. "Please."

Raven smiled standing up. "I'll help you as much as I can, you have my word."

Walking slowly away she hesitated turning back before opening the door. "I'll be back soon."

Lily winced as the door closed behind the other woman, remembering what she had been told. Rachael, known as Raven by all but a few, had been her sister's student, faithful and loyal to her fellows, but in love with a spell-caster. Lily sighed heavily. Love really didn't care about colour or creed. All it cared about was love.

Xena cast a measured glance at Daniel, gauging the situation before turning her attention to Gabrielle and Will knowing that her friend needed some time alone with his mortal friends. A breather, space to relate the situation to them, to explain why it was. Why it had to be the way it was. Her heart went out to him, knowing that he spent so much time protecting others that he rarely thought of himself in any real way. He had caused himself so much hurt while defending others, and yet he didn't stop, he continued to do what he thought was right no matter what.

All her life she had had moments of doubt, doubt that she was following the right path, until Gabrielle had come along, her best friend and soul mate had guided her, rid her of the doubts that still possessed her from time to time, never stopping her from doing what was right, even when she really wished she could. Even when they had nearly lost each other for ever.

That day was one she would always remember, it had caused them so much pain, had separated them for so long. Without Daniel's influence, she wondered what would have happened. Gabrielle had been so lost, there had been nothing that she could do to make the hurt go away, she hadn't known that it wasn't forever. Hadn't known that they would be where they were now, had never dreamed of it.

They owed the old man more than he could imagine, he had helped them through the worst time of their lives, and never asked for anything in return. The least they could do as give him this. Leave him to his own freedom. And prepare for the battle ahead. Especially now Will had found out where Lily was. The time would come soon enough, but there was time enough before hand.

Sighing Xena reached out to her friend, meeting Will's gaze and moving towards the house at the same time, hoping that they would both get her meaning. It was time they left the old man and his friends in peace, time to allow him to face them, for a moment, and get some kind of sign that they would be alright.

Daniel turned to face his three mortal friends as the others moved into the house, leaving them in privacy. Glancing at each of them in turn he memorised their expressions for future referral. Taking a deep breath he prepared himself for the onslaught.

"I know this is all a lot to take in, and I wish it didn't have to come out this way, but this is the way it is. I can't change that. I trust Will, Ami and Tom a lot, as much as I trust you guys, I've known them along time.

We've got to all work together so, Jack please, just let it go for now??? I know I should have told you sooner and I'm sorry I didn't, but it's hard okay?? I wanted to protect you guys, from this, all of it."

Daniel hesitated stuck for words. "If you want to say anything, just, say it now."

Sam glanced at the other two before taking a step forward and gently pulling Daniel into a hug. "As long as you tell us what we need to know, I'm okay with it." Pulling back slightly she met his gaze gently, carefully displaying her understanding. "I can't say that I didn't doubt you Daniel, that I don't still on some level, but I do know this. I'd trust you with my life."

Daniel gave her a sad smile and nodded his understanding before turning his attention to the other two.

"I share Major Carter's feeling Daniel Jackson. I would trust you with my life if the situation called for it." Daniel smiled at Teal'c as the Jaffa inclined his head.

Sighing, knowing that Jack would be the hardest to deal with, he turned his full attention onto the other man. "Jack???" His voice was soft, questioning as he watched emotions flicker across his 'best' friend's hardened features.

Brown eyes met blue, as Colonel Jack O'Neill's gaze met Daniel's. "I'm with you on this one, Danny."

Daniel smiled nodding before turning to lead them up the steps into the house, giving brief descriptions of Ami and Tom to save having to introduce them once they reached their destination, his thoughts on other things.

Like the knowledge that none of his mortals friends were ready for what they were about to be introduced to. The immoral war. A war that could, without a doubt, mother nightmares in even the stiffest, hardest mortal black ops trained colonel or ex-first prime of a false God.

A war that had begun so long ago that so few could remember a world without it.

The war that had taken the lives of so many loved ones. And would continue to.


	4. Part Three

**Part Three**

Friend of mine,  
We've been apart too long  
And it's been a while   
Since I could call you  
Petty arguments that I  
Could not let go  
But now I'm trying to show  
Humility  
Now if you need me  
I'm not far away  
Put your faith in me  
If you feel down  
Just look around  
And you will find  
You can put your faith in me  
Just wait and see  
And you'll find me  
I'm sending my love to you  
From the one who cares  
Put your faith in me  
And it makes me smile  
Just to talk to you again  
It soars beyond my reach  
Tender ness that I had lost  
And forgot how to feel for a while  
Now if you need me  
I'm not far away   
Put your faith in me if you feel down just look around  
And you will find you can put your faith in me  
Just wait and see and you'll find me  
I'm sending my love to you  
From the one who cares  
You can put your trust in me  
Put your faith in me   
If you feel down just look around  
And you will find you can put your faith in me  
Just wait and see  
And you'll find me   
I'm sending my love to you  
From the one who cares  
Put your faith in me  
Put your faith in me

An excited yelp caught Daniel's attention as he entered the living room behind the others, a large black and white ball of fluff lunging at him from behind the sofa. Laughing Daniel lightly hugged the animal, rubbing behind it's ears. Big brown eyes met his blue ones as it dropped his paws back onto the floor, head cocked to one side.

"Always after treats aren't you?" He chided the dog gently well aware of the disbelieving looks he was receiving from the others. The dog whined lifting up a paw. "Hmmm, fine, here you go." Daniel pulled a dog chew out of his pocket and held it out to the dog smiling as she licked his fingers clean.

"You spoil her you know." Tom stared at his future father in law from his armchair, coffee in hand, "And besides that, I thought horses were better company than dogs."

Daniel looked at the younger immortal for a few moments before rolling his eyes dramatically. "There's nothing wrong with giving Meg some attention every now and again Tom."

"Uh, what is she???" Jack's voice was soft as he examined the animal in front of him.

Tom laughed good naturedly, "She's a husky."

Sam smiled. "I've always wanted a husky." Tom smiled.

"Yeah well, they're hard work. Anyhow, we can talk about Megan and how beautiful she is some other time, Lily's the priority now."

Xena nodded her agreement while fussing over Meg. "Yeah, now that we know where she is, thanks to our dear old friend," Xena shot Daniel a meaningful glance, "All we've got to do is think of a way to do this thing."

Ami snorted glancing at Xena from her perch on a stool by the kitchen divider. "Sorry, use of slang."

Xena rolled her eyes, gaining a light giggle from Gabrielle. "Oh-kay, anyhow, as a base, there's, six of us with experience in such situations, three military trained mortals, and maybe an extra immortal to help us along."

Daniel held up his hand. "If we can get Rhys, it'll be plus two and it'll all be over."

Xena frowned at the older man. "Alastair, don't be an idiot, Rhys won't,"

Daniel cut her off neatly. "Merritt's gone Xena, he's most likely set this all up as a way to get rid of Rhys, he's always been a threat to that boy's power, no matter who his mother is, her favourite always has been, and always will be Andrew."

Xena pursed her lips. "Maybe. But we can't rely on that."

"I know, but all I'm saying is that there is a possibility that we can do this without, what you're suggesting. I owe her that much Xena." They met each others gaze for a few moments before she nodded.

"So, we take, three groups? One mortal, two immortals per group??" Daniel nodded.

"Avoid the front door, take the two sides and the sewer entrance and cover the main area."

Jack frowned at his friend. "Since when did you get all military??"

Xena glanced at the younger man, a humoured smile touching her lips. "Ah, of course military minds are the only ones' that can create plans such as this," Daniel threw her an exaggerated warning look, "Mere civilians like ourselves are incapable."

Jack glowered. "Okay, so maybe you can create a good plan. But since when is that a good plan, I mean, we only know Danny and the plan involved us splitting up."

Will smiled sarcastically. "Well you could always stay here."

"William stop it!" Gabrielle kicked his shin shaking her head. "You never help do you??"

"Hey, give me an ass to kick and I'll do it, it's just the planning thing that's got me."

Daniel glanced at his student sighing, "Yeah, and we all know how much good that theory's done you."

"Hey, I didn't know I was going to get killed." Jack and Sam stared at the young immortal. "What? Can't a guy make a mistake?"

Daniel snorted before turning his attention to the others. "Jack, you'll be with Xena and Ami, you can trust them, Teal'c, you'll be with Gabrielle and Tom, and Sam, you get the joy of being with me and, William." Daniel met Jack's gaze, "That ok?"

Jack looked over the others carefully before nodding. "Yeahsureyoubetcha."

Tom glanced in his rear view mirror examining the man in the back seat, aware of the other man returning the favour. He had to admit he was curious as to how exactly the old man had gotten involved with such a mixed little group of people. The aging Jack was all too military for Tom's liking, but he could tell that his friendship was one that Daniel savoured, a valued friend and comrade. The woman, Sam, was pretty, and reminded him of Ami in some ways, but he could see a good few similarities between her and Jack. And then there was the man behind him, Teal'c, an odd name. He seemed to be the strong silent type, old, in a mortal way, and wary of the world. But they all seemed close, well, seemed like they had been close. At a guess Tom would say it hadn't been long since they had discovered immortality in their friend.

It was hard sometimes watching all those people with normal lives, living while they all stood back, watching, wishing for a life like that. An easier life, with less problems and less danger. With less guilt, regret and pain.

It was impossible to, live in the world and not relate with mortals, not care for a few more than any of the rest, not feel the pain of their loss. Impossible not to wince when they made the same mistakes for the third time in as many decades.

But that was how they lived, how they had to live. It was the immortal way.

Glancing at Gabrielle in the seat beside him, he smiled. "So, any favourite movies?"

Jack made a face as he stepped in a puddle, the smell of the sewers invading his senses as he followed the two women down the passageway. It had been hard enough trying to keep up with the two immortals on the street, both being physically younger, and minus his bad knees. So maybe, Xena, that was her name, was about his age physically, but she was much more flexible, with very few aches and pains making themselves known in the damp environment of the sewer.

He hadn't been too sure when Daniel had informed him that he and his group would be the ones entering via the sewer, the least likely of the three groups to be seen as they approached, but hadn't had much choice.

It was weird, seeing Daniel, as, an immortal, showing his skills, a little more freely than he ever had at the SGC, through it was clear that he wasn't displaying them as clearly as he could. There was much more to the situation, the relationships that he had suddenly discovered than they had seen, or been shown, that much was clear.

Yet somehow, despite it all he found himself trusting the other man, despite all the lies, the years of friendship, that still somehow meant something. It felt right, but it didn't. His training told him that he shouldn't trust the other man, but his heart told him that that was what he had to do.

And he wasn't all together sure which one he should follow. His heart, or his training.

Sam slipped down the narrow alleyway, following Daniel and Will's lead, silently filling the silence by collecting her thoughts.

She did trust Daniel, in some odd way she could understand why he had lied, but in others, she couldn't. Friends didn't lie to each other, or at least they weren't meant to. Friendship meant trust and loyalty and a whole lot of other things. It meant love, honesty, comfort, safety, company. It meant never being left behind.

And there was one other thing that it meant more than any other, family.

'Your friends are the family you choose'. That was what it meant.

And the question was, had Daniel remembered that?? Yes, he had, in every other way he had been honest, loyal, loving, gentle, trusting, forgiving, but he had always kept things hidden, secrets that he didn't tell them. There had always been something there. Always been something between them and full out, true friendship. And yet, he had always been family.

Looking at the back of his head, she nodded, he had always been family. And always would be.

Teal'c climbed out of the car, fixing his gaze on the abandoned factory building down the street, his expression grim. All of them were dealing with something. The immortals were dealing with the abduction of one of their own, and the mortals were dealing with the immortals.

Nothing had changed for Teal'c, he had always known there was something that Daniel Jackson hadn't been telling them, and had watched as slowly over time the 'young' man had revealed it to them, bit by bit. And continued to do so. He had kept secrets from his friends, and still had a few hidden away, waiting for the right time to be aired. He understood his friend's problem, the need to wait for the right time, a time that never seemed to come. Such truths were always aired at bad times, times when they had to be uttered because they were part of it. A part of the bigger picture, not just something that needed to wait, that needed the right time.

It was no man's fault when the time came. Daniel Jackson had tried his best, and had succeeded in a way, in the only way that he could have. There was much more to the relationships that had been built than could be seen at first glance, they all had their secrets, their silent beliefs, memories and regrets. None of them knew everything about the other as yet, but Teal'c did not doubt that one day, in time, they would.

Daniel rubbed his hands together a light frown forming as he exchanged a glance with Will. It was odd, nobody had seen them, or sensed them. The cool metal of his chosen weapon on his skin was a hidden comfort, kept a secret from his mortal friends for the time being, just in case they had anything to say about his choice of weaponry. Somehow, all three of them were armed with their usual side arms, a disconcerting thing that made him wonder about the honesty of their reasoning as to why they had followed him. Not that it mattered.

Nothing mattered more than the situation at hand, the need to get Lily out of there before any damage could be done, or their 'friend' was taken out. She had made her choice, the right one in the situation that she had found herself placed in by her lover.

They would know soon enough, if they didn't already suspect, in which case they would find out for sure, that there was even more to 'Daniel Jackson' than they knew.

Nodding to Will, he turned his attention to Sam, dropping back to stand beside her.

"We're going to go in through that door," Daniel pointed to a small metallic door set part way up the west wall of the factory building which could only be reached by a set of metallic steps. It was a chance they had to take, there was no way they would be able to get in the front way. It would be the best guarded. "I'll go first, then you can follow behind, and Will will bring up the rear."

Receiving a grim nod of understanding from Sam he moved forwards, trusting that the cover of darkness would be enough to allow them access to the interior of the building. And not get any of them killed, glancing behind him again his sad gaze rested on Sam for a few moments as he sent a mental prayer to any Deity listening that none of his mortal friends would loose their life, that they would be kept safe. He didn't know what he would do if any of them died, it was too soon.

Jack watched as Xena moved ahead, leaving him and Ami behind as she checked out their proposed entry place. It would be nice to get out of the sewers, his knee might give him some relief once out of the dank environment. It had been odd, watching the two women acting with such planned intention, as though they were always carrying out rescue missions. As though they had spent the whole of their lives doing the same thing. As though they had done it so many times that they knew how it worked.

And that was what made Jack wonder, how many friends and comrades had they lost in their lifetimes. Lifetimes that had already most likely lasted longer than he could even imagine. Sure he could imagine a few centuries of life, but not a millennia. He couldn't even begin to imagine some of the things they must have seen in their time.

Or what Daniel had seen in his.

How many times had Daniel been involved in rescue missions like this one? How many times had he found himself facing failure? How many people had Daniel lost? How much guilt did the 'young' man carry on those shoulders of his?

Teal'c grimly followed the slim blonde's lead as she ran silently across the open area that lead from the back of the large new apartment building to the East wall of the factory building. Their destination was a small door on the back corner, barely worth any effort, due to the high fence and river that closed it off from general access, but not from theirs. The man, Tom, had brought a set of wire cutters with him that made neat, quick work of the fence, opening up a hole big enough for even Teal'c to fit through.

Moving with a grace that surprised most of the people of the Tauri he had been involved with, Teal'c ducked through, before turning and silently offering his help to Tom. Nodding his thanks, Tom moved ahead, placing one hand on the metal door he closed his eyes for a few moments before nodding a go ahead to Gabrielle who moved past him to open the door, sais in hand. The weapons intrigued Teal'c, but he was well aware of the situation and kept silent, keeping his questions for later, when it came.

Teal'c watched as Gabrielle moved a little way into the building, muscles tensed, ready for anything. She relaxed visibly and nodded to them. Teal'c brought up the rear, silently closing and securing the door behind them, before following the others further into the building, ready to begin the search.

Sam winced at the slight metallic clicks that marked their movements up the steps, they were moving as quietly as they could, but in all honesty she wasn't sure if it was enough, surely the immortals inside the building should have heard something. But then, what she was hearing could be her imagination, the sound of their footsteps might not be as loud as it sounded to her, after all she was well aware of the effect the situation was having on her. Nervous didn't cover it. She was worried, concerned, jumpy, and, scared. Above all of her other emotions that was the one she was aware of the most, her fear of the unknown, of what she didn't understand.

It had always been her one major failing, that deep need to understand _everything_. She had to know the situation before hand, she had to know everything about a piece of technology she was going to use. Had to know how it all worked.

But she didn't understand this. She didn't understand immortality, the lack of any difference in an immortals physically and a mortals, the fact that their bodies could heal anything, even a fatal wound and yet Daniel had scars, evidence of past injuries.

It didn't make sense to her, she couldn't understand it. And therefore, Major Samantha Carter, USAF, PhD, was scared stiff of what was waiting for her and her companions within the dark sinister building. Her flight or fight instinct was working over time.

Daniel glanced at Sam as they entered the building, having found the corridor empty of any sign of life, something that didn't surprise him. It was always a good idea to only use the space that you needed, no more no less, it made it easier to secure. The only problem he had with that was it meant that they weren't anywhere near where Lily was being held.

He could sense her fear and understood it, over the years he had learned a lot about her, not everything, but enough to get by. He had never agreed with invading a person's privacy, it wasn't the 'good' thing to do. He knew that her mind worked by understanding, he knew that she feared what she didn't understand, which wasn't much, but was a perfectly natural instinct, everyone had it. Understanding was one of those things that people took for granted when they had it, and the lack of it had caused too many wars and arguments to list.

Instinct screamed that if you don't understand it, it is to be feared, to be destroyed, removed from the immediate area. It had happened with immortality all those years ago. Mortals had feared it and had tried to destroy all evidence of it, but instead they had introduced immortals to their best chance of survival. Secrecy was an immortals friend. It kept you safe from those who feared you. From those who would destroy you. Kept you alive.

But it wasn't enough. It wasn't in his nature to hide himself, he had always known that, and it had pained him every time he had found himself faced with the need for it. He had hidden himself for so long that he wasn't sure who he truly was anymore. What was the act and what was the reality?

He didn't know.

Lily watched as Raven paced the room restlessly, brown eyes flicking from one point to another. Her mind in anguish over what she had done. Lily's soft blue eyes were full of empathy as she watched, her heart going out to the elder woman.

"You did what you felt you had to." Lily knew her voice was weak, a poor substitute to the one that the woman longed to hear those words spoken in. Brown eyes met hers shining with unshed tears.

"I know, but, it's hard. I feel like I've betrayed him, and I have." A single tear ran down the pale cheek.

"But it was the right thing to do." Silence filled the void into which those words had been spoken into. Until Raven finally released the tension that had building within her.

"I should have stopped this!" Her voice was full of despair as she waved her hands angrily in the air. "It should never have come to this! How, how could I be such a fool?" A sob escaped her as she lifted a shaking hand to her mouth. "I can't do this anymore." Shaking her head Raven sagged against the wall sliding down it as her pain overwhelmed her, despair claiming her. Lily watched silently knowing that all the comfort she could offer was held just in her presence, even if it was enforced, she would rather be in the room with her friend than at home with her own love.

Daniel froze, a deep feeling of self hate and guilt touching his consciousness, a hand on his arm told him Sam had seen his reaction. He shook his head softly before meeting Will's gaze and nodding down the corridor to their right. He had a direction.

Jack followed the women down the corridor flicking his gaze from side to side, his sidearm in his hand and ready. He didn't care if it didn't make any difference, he doubted any immortal could heal a lethal wound in a split second, which meant he could buy himself and the others time. Which was good to know, it made him feel a little less useless.

He stiffened as Ami frowned swinging round and indicating the presence of someone to their right. He tensed his finger on the trigger altering his stance slightly and sighting in the direction she had indicated, the place was too quiet for his liking.

He frowned as his knee complained, there was only so long that he would be able to keep up his present stance. The sound of footsteps finally reached his ears and he shifted his weight slightly just as they came round the corner.

Rhys frowned as he followed two of the seekers under his command down the corridor, there were other people in the building. Other immortals. Which meant they knew that she was here. And one of the immortals was Alastair, and another Thomas. The lover and the father.

The question was who else did they have with them? He couldn't pinpoint their location, which meant they had split up, clever, it made his job just that amount harder.

It also mean that he had to be more careful of himself, and what he did. His hand closed around the hilt of his sword as he approached a turn in the corridor, knowing that he had to be careful, who knew what could be beyond that turn?

Gabrielle stiffened, she could sense the presence of immortals nearby, around the corner, but then she'd been seeing Seekers everywhere for the past half hour. The three of them had covered every inch of the place since they had entered via the back door and hadn't found even the smallest sign of any other presence, only their own footprints in the dust.

It was unsettling, especially when she could sense the presence of other immortals in the building. It was true that she could just be sensing the others, but she doubted it, her instincts, honed during the course of her life, were telling her that that wasn't true. And Xena had taught her to always trust her instincts. They were normally right.

With a sigh she signalled her worry to the others, gesturing at the turn ahead. They had to be careful.

Daniel took a deep breath and closed his eyes concentrating on the emotion he had sensed earlier, and the immortal who was airing it. He was aware of Sam's gaze on him as he did so, knowing that soon he would have to explain himself to her, and the others, but it could wait.

Opening his eyes he nodded down the corridor to their right, and a set of stairs leading down to what he guessed was the basement.

She was close. He could feel it, but so was someone else. A bad someone else.

Raven glanced up at the man standing over her, brown eyes blazing, her right cheek red. A dark smile rested on his features as he bent over her, pulling her up by her hair.

"You are an unfaithful little chosen aren't you?" Raven struggled in the spell-casters grasp, wary of the whip in his hand. His dark brown eyes, partly obscured by his long hair, shone with a dark joy. "Tut tut child, why do you fight your fate."

Raven kicked out landing a solid blow between his legs and pulling herself swiftly out of his grasp. Gasping he frowned at her cocking his head on one side.

"Bad bad girl." He growled lashing out with his whip.

Raven winced as it found it's mark, a dark red line showing on her uncovered lower arm. "Kristophe." She muttered making the name sound like a curse. She glanced towards Lily carefully moving between the younger woman and the Hispanic spell-caster, the bain of many a chosen in his life time.

"Good girl, your lover took the time to tell you my name. Good, I don't have to waste my time introducing myself, I can just get down to business."

Raven met his gaze. "And that is?" She muttered though gritted teeth, having already guessed just what his 'business was.

"To clean up after your dearly beloved, it's clear as hell to the mistress that he isn't capable."

Raven's eyes widened, it had all been a set up, a way to get rid of Rhys. To get rid of the one fault in Seryna's system. But it came with an extra bonus. If they killed Lily, they would illuminate the threat that Alastair presented. Which meant big trouble.

This was just the calm before the storm.

Gabrielle crossed the corridor first, knowing she had a slightly faster healing time than Tom, thanks to her advanced age. As she threw herself against the opposite wall her eyes widened as they met a pair of familiar ice blue. Xena.

Taking a deep shaking breath she smiled at her best friend, and frowned at Jack, his gun still up. Glancing back she gestured for the others to come out and met the other group. Who were also empty handed.

"You haven't found anything?" Her voice was barely a whisper as she moved over to stand beside the others. Xena shook her head.

"Looks like we're as empty handed as you, we'll have to hope that Daniel and the others have found something. Anything."

Gabrielle glanced over at the two mortals watching as they exchanged quiet greetings. She still wasn't sure what to think of them.

Teal'c walked grimly over to Jack nodding to his comrade in arms.

"I have seen no evidence of others within this building O'Neill." Teal'c's voice was grim as he stood with his back to the four immortals. Jack nodded his agreement.

"Yeah well, they," He nodded defiantly at the group of immortals, "seem to think there's something here."

Teal'c grimly raised his head. "I do not believe it is so O'Neill."

"Yeah well neither do I big guy, but I don't think that lot are going to listen to us. If you ask me this whole thing feels like a wild goose chase."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow calmly. "Indeed."

Raven cried out as Kristophe's whip found it's mark on her face, marking it's path across the length of her cheek. Her arms stung from his previous attacks as she stood her ground, determined to defend her younger companion.

"Give it up Chosen." His mocking tone echoed in the room as he paced in front of her, playing the whip across his hands. A dark smile touched his lips as he stopped cocking his head on one side. "You are so weak, a mere child, why not give it up?"

Raven's eyes narrowed. "And let you win? Never."

Anger invaded his calm features for a few moments before he laughed coolly.

The sound of the door opening drew his attention and seconds later he lay on his side on the floor, the echo of a gun shot ringing in Raven's ears.

Brown eyes met blue, as the blonde major stepped into the room, handgun in her hand.

"Lily." The sound of Alastair's voice jerked Raven's attention away from the mortal woman. He met her gaze for a few seconds as he brushed past her to kneel by his daughter.

Glancing back she smiled warily at Will as he followed his elder, brown eyes on Kristophe's still body.

Returning her gaze to the woman she cocked her head gently on one side, a frown forming.

"You're mortal."

Sam blinked staring at the other woman. "Yeah." She watched as the information met with a deeper frown.

Will's voice came from behind her as he bent over to examine the body of the man she had shot. "She's a friend Raven."

Sam frowned looking at the woman, Raven. Dark brown hair hung around her shoulders, pale skin was marred by welts caused by the man's whip, at a guess Sam would have said she were an immortal, younger than most of the others she had met so far, but still old. It was the eyes. The woman's deep chocolate eyes held a world wary air born of many years of life. It was the kind of look owned by the ancient woman who stared out at the world from within a retirement home, watching sadly as the world passed on by.

Lowering her side arm she stepped up to the woman, casting a glance over her injuries. "Are you?"

Raven smiled lightly. "I'll be fine in a few minutes. I'm Raven."

"Sam." Nodding Sam glanced past her to where Daniel was knelt tending a pretty young woman, his daughter.

Lily frowned jerking awake at the feel of a familiar gentle touch. Blinking she stared into her father's deep blue eyes in disbelief.

"Papa?" Her voice was soft as she examined his features.

Daniel nodded softly, eyes sad, "Yeah Lil honey it's me, I'm just going to get you loose Ok?"

She nodded softly, looking round. Will was there, and Raven, and another woman she didn't know. Frowning she glanced over her shoulder at her father.

"Who's?"

Blue eyes met blue for a second before her father returned his attention to her wrists. "Sam, she's a friend."

She cast a wary glance over the woman before taking in the rest of the room. "Where's Kristophe?"

Her father froze bringing his head up sharply. "God damnit, the son of a bitch! Will?"

The younger man swung round examining the area. "He's long gone Alastair."

Raven closed her eyes ducking her head. "Damn."

Lily met Sam's gaze for a few moments, waiting for her father to finish untying the bonds around her ankles before standing up. She gasped, squeezing her eyes shut sharply.

"Dizzy?" Her father's voice was gentle as he supported her gently.

"Yeah, a bit, I'm ok now." Recovering herself, she walked silently over to Sam, head on one side. Holding out her hand she smiled softly. "I'm Lily, as you no doubt already know."

Sam smiled weakly, returning the gesture. "Sam, it's a pleasure."

Kristophe staggered down the corridor cursing mortals and their modern weapons. That woman would pay for that shot, and no body would stop him from making her pay.

What right did she have taking a shot at him, an immortal!

Of all the things to do, to happen. He had never been beaten, or surprised by any mere mortal!

It wasn't right, no, not right at all, the mortal woman would pay.

Yes, she would very defiantly pay, even if it was the last thing he did. She would pay for tricking Kristophe.

So she would.

Daniel glanced ahead at Raven as she lead them through the corridors to where she was sure the others were, she had healed most of the wounds given to her by Kristophe, but her face still bore the evidence of his violence. Normally pale cheeks were red, small flicks of blood dark against the stark white of her skin, brown eyes were slightly bloodshot, showing the evidence of her emotional turmoil.

She had betrayed her lover. Her soul-mate. And he her.

It was hard to say anything, he had never been sure of the relationship, hating Rhys for forcing the young woman to go to him, rather than doing what would have been the best for them both. Rhys had forever been more a chosen than a spell-caster, and had forever denied it. Perhaps now, he would see it.

Or it was too late. Too late for Raven to go back to the way it had been before, when she had taken her hatred for evil out on the seekers and spell-casters, forever seeking vengeance for the death of her family. The murder of her children and her husband. Her first love.

He had watched as the young woman had drifted away from them, denying herself the right to love. Until Rhys, she had saved his life and found love again, in the wrong place.

Sighing, Daniel paused waiting for Sam and Lily to catch him, having declared herself helper, Sam was carefully helping Lily down the corridor, ever wary of the young woman's weakened state. He smiled his thanks at Sam, gaining a knowing nod in return.

They had Lily back, now all they had to do was find the others and get out, around Rhys.

He had no doubt that Rhys was aware of their activities, just as Raven was aware of where he was.

Rhys muttered a curse under his breath as he looked around the now deserted room, his gaze resting on the empty chair for a few moments.

It wasn't meant to have happened this way, Merritt was supposed to have stayed. Raven should never have betrayed him, and the chosen should still be in that very chair.

But then, nothing made sense any more. He didn't know what he was supposed to do. If he should fight and die for Seryna. Or give up and ally with his lover once more.

Either way, it would be wrong in one way or another. He would betray something.

He would just have to do whatever seemed best.

Lowering himself to his knees he reached out to brush the blood stain with his fingers, frowning as they came away wet with blood. It hadn't happened long ago, which meant they couldn't have gotten far, certainly they hadn't yet left the building.

Now was the time to make sure that they didn't.

Anise pursed her lips. Brown eyes shinning with barely withheld anger as she faced George Hammond across the briefing table.

"General Hammond, you must understand, this matter is best resolved as soon as possible, it is not a matter that should be delayed in the matter that it has been."

The general frowned at the Tok'ra woman. "I have informed you of the present situation Anise, and if you ask me I doubt that your current approach will have any effect on Doctor Jackson's decision. And we of the united states of America are not partially inclined to force such things upon an individual, as I believe I have made it clear."

Anise glowered at him shaking her head. "I don't believe you have fully grasped the situation General. As it stands 'Doctor Jackson's' existence is a threat to our very alliance. If any Goa'uld were to get their hands on him it could very possibly mean the end for all of us, both Tauri and Tok'ra. You must understand General that it is imperative that this decision is made, and that it be one that we all agree upon, whether or not 'Doctor Jackson' agrees."

George Hammond sat back in his chair, blue eyes steely. "Well at present Anise, I can freely admit to you that it is out of my hands. Doctor Jackson is otherwise indisposed, as are the rest of SG-1, so this will have to do unless you are willing to hold of the talks for a few more days?"

"Lily?" Tom's voice echoed in the close confines of the corridor as the two groups finally joined up. Sam moved over to her commanding officer and comrade, pulling them off to one side to explain the situation.

Lily smiled weakly at her lover stepping into his embrace as he choked back a sob of joy. "I was so worried. I missed you."

Lily pulled back smiling through her tears. "I know."

Daniel smiled as he watched the reunion, his right hand resting on Raven's arm as she watched, tears running silently down her cheeks, her pain and distress clear. Blue eyes rested on her for a few seconds before he moved past to talk to Xena, leaving the younger immortal to Will's care.

"You got her back." Xena's voice was soft as she kept her gaze on the reunited pair cool blue eyes emotionless.

Daniel nodded silently, hand drifting to the cool metal of his weapon for a few moments. "Yeah, but we're not in the clear yet."

Xena smiled at Tom as he glanced in their direction for a few moments. "I didn't think we were. How long do you think?"

Daniel glanced at Raven watching her carefully. "Not long, he's close."

Xena nodded her understanding softly. "So we should find somewhere better than here."

Daniel nodded again meting his old friend's gaze steadily. "Yeah, I have a feeling we're going to be needing the space, and I'd have thought the best idea would be heading for the front door."

Xena smiled vaguely. "So would I."

Rhys frowned glancing around the room. He could feel her, somewhere close by, she was there, there was no denying it. But she wasn't alone. There were other immortals, immortals he had reason to fear.

The sound of heavy breathing touched his senses as he stepped into the centre of the entrance hall. There were mortals too.

"I know you're here." He stood perfectly still waiting for an attack from the side he had identified they had hidden, as close to the front doors as they could get and stay sheltered. Blue eyes narrowed as he scanned the area.

"Why try my patience, I can FEEL you."

Tears ran down Raven's cheeks as her lover's voice echoed in the large room, the coolness of it chilling her soul. It had been so long since she had heard him speak in such a way, so long since she had felt such pain from him.

Years since she had wanted him so badly. Wanted it all to work, for all the badness to be just a nightmare.

But she knew that no matter how hard she wished, she wouldn't be waking up in his arms ever again. Not even the Gods would grant her that one wish. They rarely even noticed such things.

Gods didn't wish or want after things, because they could have all they wanted, for an eternity.

Daniel stood silently behind the young spell-caster, watching as the man's muscles tensed, his body language backing up the tone of his voice as he made his demands. He seemed totally unaware of Daniel's presence as he crouched behind a pillar in the long hall, hand on the hilt of his weapon.

Jack had argued with him over his decision to go off on his own, determined to point out how pointless it would be, after all they were more or less out. What Jack hadn't realised was that they wouldn't ever get out if they didn't take Rhys out first, so that was what they were going to do. Daniel wasn't prepared to watch his three mortals friends die under the blades of the seekers and spell-casters within the building, that would be too much. Everything had been happening so fast in the past few months, first his revelation to his friends and now this, the kidnap of his daughter, only a small step in what Daniel had no doubt was a much bigger thing.

Seryna never took small steps.

Blue eyes narrowed as Rhys drew his sword from it's scabbard, the sound of steel on hardened leather echoing off the stone walls.

Daniel took a deep breath, his grip tightening on the hilt of the sword strapped across his back. It was up to Rhys to make the first move, and then it would begin.

Rhys walked slowly over to the indent aware of the heavy gaze of those that hid in it. His shifted his grip on the heavy blade, rebalancing it as he did so. He needed to consentrate on the task ahead, not on her. He was so close, so very close to ending it. For himself and for them. For her.

All he needed to do was win.

Xena tensed waiting for Alastair to make his move, hoping that the old man would do what they both knew had to be done. There was no way they could allow Rhys to live now. Especially not now that he had finally truly betrayed Raven. Broken the beautiful, wise and powerful young chosen's heart, again. She doubted the younger woman could take much more. She doubted anyone could have taken much more.

The gods had turned a blind eye to their love, allowing it to rot and wither in the sunlight. All they could do was hope. And stand by Raven, for as long as they could.

Xena took a deep breath, glancing towards Jack, watching as the mortal clenched and unclenched his fists, his impatience and distaste of the situation clear. Not that it mattered now.

Daniel stepped out of the shadows behind Rhys drawing his blade from it's seat and using it to tap the wall, the metallic ring drawing the other immortal's attention away from his prey.

Rhys spun on his heel swiftly bringing his blade up in preparation to parry an attack, startled by the sudden noise from behind. Blue met blue as their gazes locked, across the distance.

Daniel focused his attention on Rhys, determined not to slip up, fully aware of the stakes. He had been playing the game for way to long not to be wary of a fellow immortal's skill, especially a Spell-casters. He had made that mistake once already and he wasn't about to do so again anytime soon.

"Alastair." Rhys growled the name as he stepped forward spinning his blade as he raised it's tip to shoulder height, blue eyes cool and detached. Emotionless.

Daniel pursed his lips, steely blue eyes narrowing. "Rhys."

An eerie silence fell in the building as the two combatants sized each other up, moving carefully around each other, careful not to show any faults in their defences, each keeping a tight grip on their own weapon.

Each footfall echoed off the stone walls, every clash of metal on metal shattered the false security of the silence as the two immortal men tested one another's defences with the skill and art born of millennia of practice. Each stroke being met by a defending parry, each one deflected before it could come within range, each one calculated to test a different area of the others defence.

Lightening fast attacks followed . One after another as Rhys tried the advantage, using his heavier weight to press in on Daniel's defences, neat footwork keeping him out of Daniel's reach. Each attack was deflected neatly, just before he managed to score a hit on any part of Daniel's body - skill matching skill. Neat defence meeting neat attack.

A few drops of sweat rolled off Rhys' forehead as he backed off, circling carefully, searching for anything to help him plan a new line of attack.

Daniel shifted his weight lightly, testing his grip in preparation for any more attacks that Rhys would undoubtedly aim his way, his attention on the younger immortal as he moved, carefully keeping every part of his body protected, careful not to show Rhys a way in.

Green eyes drifted in the direction of the four seekers who had accompanied Rhys into the room, noting their movements. Glancing towards the two combatants in the centre of the room, Gabrielle dipped silently, drawing her sais from their sheaths in her boots. Both Daniel and Rhys were too busy concentrating on their own battle to be aware of the threat from behind, which meant someone had to deal with that threat, swiftly and silently.

Tapping Will lightly on the shoulder Gabrielle moved further into the shadows, gesturing for him to follow, a silent acknowledgement from Xena reassured Gabrielle as she gripped Will's arm and pulled him with her.

The key to their attack was surprise - the key to Daniel's, skill.

Xena winced dreading what was no doubt to come. Her hand rested lightly on Raven's shoulder offering the younger woman support, aware of her despair. Taking a deep breath she silently promised the younger woman that she would be there for her, whenever she was needed. No matter what she would never leave her alone in her despair, and that was a promise she intended to keep for an eternity - however long Raven's eternity would last, she would keep her promise.

The sound of metal on metal echoed off the stone walls, reminding her of the battle being fought in the center of the room, and the skirmish that Will and Gabrielle had created on the opposite side of the room.

Her gaze fixed on the three mortals stood a few meters further into the corridor, and she allowed her mind to wander. She knew how hard it was to watch a friend fight and be unable to offer any help, she'd been in the same situation too many times herself, watching her daughter or Gabrielle fighting their own battles. But, this was different, she doubted she could understand what it was like to watch a friend that you thought you knew so well, doing something you would never have expected. Discovering a whole new world that your friend belonged in. She couldn't image what the combat was like through their young eyes, it had been too long since she had been that young.

Smiling vaguely to herself she thought about her what her own instinct would have been had she come across the same situation at their age. Her first instinct had always been to protect, and that had been the main reason for her decision to change. She had spent too long hindering people, too long ignoring her instinct. And she had paid a great price for that ignorance.

She just hoped that an even greater price than the one she had paid so long ago wouldn't be paid that night.

Daniel frowned, the sound of a skirmish behind him soft, knowing that he shouldn't be allowing himself to be distracted while he was meant to be keeping his attention solely on the man in front of him. The sound faded telling him that the fight had been won, leaving him to face his own alone, knowing what he had to do. The thought disturbed him. It had been a while since he had been in the situation he was in. A long time since he had been in a serious fight with someone he 'liked'. But he had little choice.

He winced narrowly managing to fend off the attack forcing himself to concentrate on the task at hand and worry about it later.

Daniel moved quickly using the moment of unbalance caused by his unexpected parry he turned his own blade round moving in with an attack of his own.

Rhys winced as the lightening fast blade found it's mark, drawing blood from his right upper arm. Shifting his weight he quickly changed to a left handed grip, feigning an attack to buy himself time to heal. It was a mistake.

Daniel turned the weak attack against him, bringing his blade in underneath Rhys' and knocking the heavy sabre out of it's unsteady grip.

Off-balanced once more by the attack, Rhys stumbled, the follow-up sharp blow to the back of his neck sending to the floor. The cool metal of the broadsword in a two handed grip pressing into the back of the neck. It was over.


	5. Part Four

**Part Four**

I came home in the morning  
And everything was gone  
Oh what have I done  
I dropped dead in the hallway  
Cursing the dawn  
Oh come on son  
Why must I burn  
I'm just trying to learn  
  
I stared into the light  
To kill some of my pain  
It was all in vane  
Cause no senses remain  
But an ache in my body  
And regret on my mind  
But I'll be fine  
  
Cause I live and I learn  
Yes I live and I learn  
If you live you will learn  
I live and I learn  
  
God kicked you in the head  
So I started a fight  
Cause I knew I was right  
But I learned I was wrong  
I remember a slaughter  
I remember I fought  
For the money I brought  
I got blistered and burned  
And lost what I earned  
  
But I live and I learn  
Yes I live and I learn  
  
I got, I got it now  
She's got, She's got it now  
  
I came to one a corner  
With some help from a man and goddamn  
I don't seem to have learned  
That a lady in need is guilty indeed  
So I paid and got laid in return  
And I don't know what I've learned  
  
Well you get what you give  
And hell yes I lived  
But if you live as you learn  
I don't think I'd be learned  
Oh with the sun in my eyes  
Surprise, I'm living a life  
But I don't seem to learn  
No I don't think I can learn

Rhys closed his eyes, the feel of the cool metal on his skin grounding him suddenly. He had lost, it was over. He would pay for his betrayal in his own blood, as he deserved to.

How had he done it? How had he forgotten himself in his fear of another's power. Fear of Seryna's power. Of what she was capable of.

He had done her work for her, making every decision that had ultimately lead to the moment he had lost the fight. Making every move for her.

He should have smelt trouble when he had discovered Merritt missing. But he hadn't. He had been too blinded by everything else that was happening.

"We both know what happens next Rhys. But ultimately it's your choice." Daniel's voice echoed off the walls as he held the sword to his opponents neck, expression grim. He knew what he had to do, he just hoped that this time there was another way. That he wouldn't have to add another name to the long list of people he had had a hand in killing.

Rhys wasn't as evil as so many people seemed to think. Or at least Daniel didn't believe he could be.

Rhys stiffened beneath the blade, leaning forward to press his forehead against the cold stone floor. How had it come to this? Why did he have a choice? "What if I say I want to die? What if I say I want you to end it? Will you?"

Daniel frowned at the long man knelt in front of him. "Why? Does it matter?"

A bitter laugh escaped Rhys' lips. "No, it doesn't." Rhys starred numbly at the floor in front of him taking a deep breath. "Love doesn't matter. It doesn't mean anything."

Raven bit her lip as she watched her lover fall, her heart skipping a beat. He had betrayed her, he deserved to die. Didn't he?

She listened to the short conversation between the two combatants, moving slowly away from the wall, expression blank, prepared to face her lover.

"Love doesn't matter. It doesn't mean anything." His words echoed, cutting into her as she froze a few meters away, a single tear tracking it's way down the side of her face.

"Doesn't it?" She almost yelled the question at him, as she stood shaking, brown eyes full of angst.

"Raven?" His voice was soft with disbelief, as he turned unaware of the sudden absence of the blade at his neck.

She frowned at him confused. Where was the confidence and easy nature that she knew so well? Where was the happiness, the open defiance of others? When had everything changed, when had it all left him?

"If love doesn't mean anything, then why do I hurt so much." She whispered it starring at him through her tears. "Why do I hate you so much?"

Rhys shook his head silently tears rolling down his cheeks, he reached out to her silently.

"I hurt inside!" She yelled it at him backing away shaking her head. "Every time I believe in you, believe that you won't betray me again - you do. And that hurts!

I have believed for so long that you aren't like the others - I know you - you're not evil." Tears ran freely down her cheeks as she shook her head at him softly. "I love you."

Rhys blinked, expression vacant in his disbelief. How could she still love him after everything he had done? How could she even stand to be anywhere near him?

"I never stopped to think." He jumped startled at the sound of his own voice, but meeting her gaze he continued. "I do love you."

The young woman lent back in her chair frowning. Not only had her target vanished, but three other members of the Cheyenne base staff had also gone AWOL. More or less. They weren't absent with out leave. They were just absent. Off the radar.

Things weren't looking good.

All she knew was that where ever those three were, HE, was. But at present the home team seemed to be headed towards victory, leaving the visitors in the dust.

At least for now.

Lily hung off Tom's arm, keeping a tight grip on him, determined to take as much time off work as she could to make up for their lost time. Pale blue eyes rested on the three mortals stood off to one side and her grip loosened slightly. She couldn't imagine how hard it had been for them to watch as her father and Rhys had fought, not knowing who would be the victor. She had lived her entire life aware of the danger involved in her father's, even before she knew he was immortal. Before she even knew that of herself.

Looking up she met Tom's gaze, expression grave, it was hard not to worry about people, it was a part of her nature. Almost limitless compassion towards everyone and anyone. It was what made her such a good doctor, she was easy to get along with, and inspired trust in her patients.

She worried about her father. He had always seemed so distanced from other people, especially mortals, he had long since built himself a wall to hide behind, to keep at a distance from the people. He choose his friends carefully, never really trusting people until they had proved themselves in some way.

These mortals had earned the old man's respect, and now, the relationship was almost invisible to her. There was a connection between them still, but was that enough? Was anything ever enough?

Glancing towards Raven and Rhys she smiled vaguely. Well, maybe.

Daniel glanced at his mortal friends, his gaze flickering between them and the pair in front of him. He felt bad. The first time that they had ever seen him fight, and he had nearly killed someone, and not cared.

It was hard to explain to people, how when you fought everything was just black and white. Your life or your opponents. No questions, no hesitations, no nothing, anything like that would have gotten you killed on the battlefield, once upon a time.

Nowadays battles were very rarely fought face to face, guns and such 'modern' weapons had introduced a distance to battles that hadn't ever been there before. When he had first learned to fight the only way to truly fight from a distance was with arrows and slings, but even then the range had still been limited enough that you could see you victim, stare them straight in the eyes as they died. If you couldn't hack it then you were a dead man.

His grip tightened on his sword for a moment before he sheathed it, preparing himself for the face off that he was very aware was about to occur.

Jack O'Neill was not the kind of person to ignore things like his 'friend' being capable of killing so calmly with a weapon that was very personal.

And Daniel was scared. Scared that things would never get any better than they were. Scared that the relationship, the 'connection', was gone, never to be revived.

Jack walked calmly across the room, having waited until his 'friend' had sheathed his blade. He didn't need the constant reminder of what he had just seen in his face while he spoke to the immortal.

He had never seen the weapon before, never even seen a weapon of it's kind used with such knowledge and confidence. Never seen it used in a serious battle. Swords were old weapons - weapons that the 'people' believed were no longer used, hadn't been for years. But that was another lie. Like so many others that he had seen uncovered in the last month. What more was there to come?

Was it worth wondering if it had been worth it? If they would have been better never knowing? Continuing to believe that 'Daniel' really was just plain old Doctor Jackson? Just waking one day to find Daniel Jackson gone, vanished without a trace?

It hadn't seemed real, any of it. Daniel rising from the dead. Watching him fight, using the ancient weapon with such skill. No emotion on his face as he prepared to kill a man just because?

But in reality it was all true. It wasn't a dream that he would wake up from. It was real.

All too real.

Teal'c followed his commander and friend, expression grim. There was so much more waiting in the shadows, things that they most likely could only battle united. Things that threatened more than just them, immortals and mortals alike.

But everything was wrong. Their relationship as a team was broken, pushed roughly back together in some vague form, all of them reeling from the events transpiring before their eyes, before they could truly breath again, settle their differences.

Fate was playing the tricks she loved to play once more. And even he, in all his life and experience, didn't know how to deal with it all.

All but one thing. It was still there. That confusing connection that had held them together as a team for so long. It wasn't quite broken. Yet.

Sam stayed behind the others, knowing that Jack needed space to say what he thought. Knowing that she and Teal'c were much closer to recovering than him. That they had a stronger understanding, born of recent years, of their immortal friend.

O'Neill and Daniel had drifted apart, their once strong friendship fading, and Sam had found herself filling the gaps for the two men. Proving the banter that her commanding officer expected, and the support that Daniel never really sort, but needed nonetheless.

It had been hard, but she had hoped that they had started to heal their rift, becoming closer once again. But as ever it had been too good to be true and it come to this.

She watched as Jack moved forwards, his gaze locked with his friend's, back stiff.

Jack stopped muscles tensed, keeping up the eye contact that he had been careful to sustain. He needed to say something to his friend, say what he honestly felt and thought. Offer an opinion.

"This isn't over is it?" Jack nodded at the discarded blade casually as though it were an everyday occurrence. Blue eyes flickered towards the couple for a moment before returning to meet Jack's gaze once more.

"Because it isn't, it never is." Jack frowned, he'd never heard his friend sound so weary, so old and tried. It added to the weight of the age that had always existed in the other man's eyes.

"Never?" Jack raised his eyebrows. "Bit of a dark comment."

Daniel smiled vaguely, sighing. "Most likely it is, but I promised to be honest with you."

Jack nodded shifting his weight slightly, awkward. While he had doubted it before, he knew it was the truth now, and knew that his comment days ago deserved readdressing. "We should, get back to base now I guess. Considering it's all happy families again."

Daniel blinked cocking his head on one side. "Back to base?" The comment had thrown him for a loop, so different from the tension that had seemed to drift from Jack during the past eternity.

"Yeah, back to work, there's no place like home." Their gazes met and Daniel nodded his understanding.

"We should get back." He met Teal'c and Sam's gazes in quick succession, startled by their open expressions.

Maybe they would be all right.

Tom smiled as he hugged his new fiancé, meeting his soon to be father in law's gaze as he prepared to leave. The past week had been hard on all of them Tom mused, glancing over his shoulder at the other six immortals hanging back while the final farewells were said.

The three mortals that had just entered their lives were intriguing, promising a different kind of support than he was used to. He hadn't had all that many mortal friends since his 'death', finding himself seeking out immortal company more and more, to avoid the sense of loss born out of mortal relationships.

He had fallen in love with Lily the first time they had met, on her seventieth birthday, and had found his relationship with her father deepening, his understanding of the other man evolving. And yet, he had never expected to see Alastair the way he had seen him during the past few days.

And now it was time to say goodbye again. Watch the man leave again to go to his new found home in Colorado, and the job that meant so much to him.

Lily smiled frowning up at him as though sensing his thought and scolding him for them. She trusted her father, and he knew she expected him to trust her on that. But all the same it was hard.

A vague smile touched his lips as Alastair made a final comment before pulling away and dropping into the driving seat of his car.

"Look after her Thomas. I know you will."

Jack smiled lightly as the four of them entered the mountain, welcoming the cool shadow of the base after the heat of the sun. It had been a long eventful week. And the drive home had been no different. On a spur of the moment decision he had decided to take the passenger seat of Daniel's car, passing it off as an opportunity for Teal'c to practice his driving skills.

The trip had helped, the soft conversion between himself and his immortal friend sealing a part of the foundations of their friendship back into place.

They were going to be alright. He could feel it. No matter what life and the 'Gods', if any such beings truly existed, threw at them, they would get back to how they had once been. Maybe even better.

So Daniel might not be the young and innocent little geek boy, but he was still the same person they had grown to love as a part of their family. The supportive, maybe not 'wise beyond his years' brother who was always their when you needed him. Just now, they were learning more about each other. Learning about weaknesses, and finding new strengths.

So what if all wasn't well in SG-1 land now, it didn't matter, what did was their future. And the road they had to continue walk down. It would be ok.

If they willed it to be hard enough.

George nodded to the sentry on guard as he stepped through the check point and out across the car park and into the fading light. Pale blue eyes fixed on the horizon, and the lights of the city of Colorado Springs in the near distance.

SG-1 were finally making their first steps back to their old relationship. Doctor Jackson and Colonel O'Neill were more comfortable with each other, the tension had eased. It was good to watch.

But even then, they still had a fight on their hands, fate was throwing everything she had at them, testing their endurance to the limits. They would soon enough be facing a battle to retain their immortal member, to stop their 'allies' from taking him away to 'safety'. And even if they won that battle the war was far from over. In fact he had a feeling that had only just truly begun.

Glancing at the sky he turning and headed back into the depths of the mountain, to the pile of paper work awaiting his attention.

Darkness was falling.

And on we go,

The schizophrenic Gatekeeper


End file.
